SINGING IN SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1660, 29 January 1913, Page 8

SINGING IN SCHOOLS.

'. REPORT BY MR. ROBERT PARKER.'; In, reporting to the Wellington Educa-, tion Board on this work, as instructor in singing to the teachers attending tho Wel-lington.-Training'. College, Mr. Robert Parker said:— . .' ; ■'~ '.■■'.'.',-' ,' : ' , -."With' even 'my own very .limited opportunities for observation, I am convinced that-in this district great and general improvement is being made in school singing, a subject tho , importance of which has long been recognised in Great Britain arid other countries, but which 'has(hitherto received but tardy and scant attention ,in New Zealand, music being regarded by many not as an,important'element.in education,'but as a more 'frill', of no practical value. I cannot help' wishing that your, board, which has already done! so much, would find itself able to extend'the work by. enabling' ma (or whoever/may 'hold'.the,office'-of instructor) 'to - , visit periodically, as many schools as possible, in order- to'adviso and help those who, of ten with inadequate personal equipment, are teaching,this subject. 'I am quite convinced that the teaching, itself should bo done in every caso.by the school staff, and not by so-called'experts' ;from: outside,''but'l am fully convinced -that some supervision (of the right kind) :is necessary, arid would be welcomed by the teachers themselves, i Of this I have frequent 'proof.'in the letters which I receive from various places, 'asking for help and advice, and in the' frequent testimony of former students who are now doing excellent' work in many places throughout the Dominion." >Tho report was adopted. In -referring to the report,. tho chairman (Mr. R. Lee) said that a little more attention, was being paid this important subject than - was hitherto allowed. . For-tunately-in f this district instruction was given : .tho.-teachers, arid Mr. Parker'had .sent.in a'report suggesting that someone who. was.'an.expert musician should .visit the larger schools, at all events, and see the' local results.' Really, they knew very little, of tho efficacy. of the teaching un- ! less someone expertjisited the schools— and if an arrangement could be made for Mr. .Parker to. visit, say, one school, a weelc.it would result in.good.- Ho would ask the board, after considering the report, to refer • the matter to tho inspectors, to see what they think should : bo done. ■'••-. . ■ ','-.

After .the report had been read, Mr. Aitkon'-moved that it bo referred to tho iuspsctors for consideration. ' ; On Mr, Fleming's suggestion, Mr. Robert Parker was appointed instructor in singing to the Training Collego for tho current year.